


Unfinished Business

by sunkelles



Series: Femslash February 2017 [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, Force Ghost Ahsoka, Not a romance, Twilight of the Apprentice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:05:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9492215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/pseuds/sunkelles
Summary: Ahsoka Tano dies for Barriss Offee’s crimes. Then, she comes back.





	

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY FEMSLASH FEBRUARY!!!!!!!!! it's the first day of fem feb and i am PUMPED
> 
> fic specific notes: this is… interesting. I don’t know what to make of it, really, and I WROTE it. I tried not to romanticize the relationship between Barriss and Ahsoka or cut Barriss too much slack for her literal act of terrorism that ended with multiple people dead and then letting her best friend/lover take the fall for it, but i think that i might have? i just wanted to warn y'all that's a possibility. 
> 
> also the title is from the white lies song of the same name, about a man whose lover murders him. he then comes back as a ghost. i thought it was fitting

  _A requiem played, as you begged for forgiveness_

_"Don't touch me!" I screamed_

_I've got unfinished business_

> Unfinished Business, White Lies

* * *

 

 

Barriss feels as though the world is collapsing around her. She can’t believe she let it come to this. The Republic has really sentenced Ahsoka to die. Now they are allowing Ahsoka one last chance to meet with her loved ones before her execution. Barriss feels like she might vomit.

 

Ahsoka is either trying to stay strong for the rest of them, or the severity of the situation hasn’t hit her yet. She seems almost calm, while Anakin Skywalker seems ready to take his lightsaber to a control panel.

“I’ll be alright,” Ahsoka says, forcing a smile.

“You won’t,” Anakin says, “you’ll be dead.”

“Please stop reminding me,” Ahsoka says.

“Where’s Obi Wan?” Ahsoka asks. Anakin looks as though he’s just swallowed something sour.

“I told him not to come,” Anakin says.

“Why?” Ahsoka demands, “he’s my friend too.”

“He’s letting you die, Ahsoka,” he says, rage thick in his voice. There’s a history between these people that Barriss will never understand or be a part of. Barriss feels as though she’s intruding. She shouldn’t witness a moment this intimate, but Ahsoka takes Anakin’s hands and looks into his eyes.

“It’s not his fault, Anakin,” she says, implores really, “please don’t blame him.” He drops her hands, and balls his into fists.

“They can’t do this to you,” he says, and Ahsoka sends him this sardonic smile.

“Looks like they can,” she says.

“There must still be something we can do,” Anakin says. He sounds desperate.

“I tried to run once, Master,” Ahsoka says, “it didn’t work.” Anakin looks ready to tear this place apart, but Senator Amidala grabs his hand and tries to calm him down.

“Anakin, please,” she says, “calm down. You’re just making it harder on her.”

“Me? I’m not the one sending her to _die-”_ Senator Amidala glares at him, and Anakin shuts up immediately.

 "No, Senator Amidala,” Captain Rex says, finally breaking his silence, “Anakin is right. This execution order is wrong. We all know Ahsoka is innocent.”

“We do,” Senator Amidala says, “but we can’t prove it, Rex. She was sentenced to die.”

“It’s not _right,”_ Rex says, “on Umbara, we rebelled against an order like that.”

“But that came from a traitor,” Amidala says, “not from the Republic itself.” Captain Rex glares. He obviously doesn’t care if Amidala believes in the integrity of a system that he thinks is broken. There might be a full blown fight brewing.

“You did everything you could,” Ahsoka assures them both. Then she wraps Amidala up in a hug, and pulls Rex in as well. They both melt into the hug, no matter how stiff and angry they were going into it. Ahsoka then turns her attentions to Barriss. Barriss tries not to look as uncomfortable and guilty as she feels.

“Barriss,” Ahsoka says, “you’ve been so quiet.”

“I don’t know what to say, Ahsoka,” Barriss says, her voice catching in her throat. Ahsoka’s eyes are watery, tear drops about to fall.

“There isn’t much you _can_ say,” Ahsoka says. She looks around, biting her lip. Then she meets Barriss’s eyes.

“Ah fuck it,” Ahsoka says. She grabs Barriss by the face with both hands. Then, Ahsoka kisses her. She breaks the kiss, flustered and pleased and guilty to the bone.

“Ahsoka they’ll-”

“Kill me?” Ahsoka suggests wryly.

“Ahsoka,” Barriss says, embarrassed and guilty, cheeks a dark shade of green.

“I wasn’t going to the grave without kissing you,” Ahsoka says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Barriss giggles, giddy and guilty and full of dread. Ahsoka sends her a sad smile, and it sends even more mixed emotions through her.

  
  
Barriss loves her. She loves her so much and everything feels like it’s coming down around her and she doesn’t know what to do.

 

“I’m sorry Ahsoka,” Barriss says, her voice cracking and tears filling her eyes. Ahsoka sends her a confused look.

“What are you sorry for, Barriss?” she says, “you’ve done nothing wrong.” Barriss bursts into wet, ugly tears and hugs Ahsoka to her chest.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry,” she says. Ahsoka rubs soft, soothing circles on her back.

“It’s not you fault, Barriss,” Ahsoka assures her. Barriss knows that if she knew the truth, she’d sooner stick a saber through her chest than hug her.

“We are on a time table,” the guard growls, and Barriss pushes Ahsoka away to give her time to say goodbye to the others. All of the rest of them deserve Ahsoka’s final moments far more than she does.

“Force, I’m gonna miss you, snips.” Anakin says

“I know,” Ahsoka says. She blushes as she realizes what she said.

“I mean- I’m gonna miss you too, skyguy,” she says, “or I guess I won’t miss you, because I’ll be dead.” And Ahsoka’s voice hitches on that last word, her eyes wet.

“Oh my Force,” she says, realization hitting her like a freighter, “I’m going to die.” Anakin takes her hand, and squeezes it tightly.

“I am so sorry, snips,” he says,and Ahsoka squeezes it back. Numb and silent, which is a far cry from the flippant way she has addressed the ordeal so far. It must be a hard thing, to walk to your own execution. 

“Enough,” the guard says harshly, “it’s time to go. Let go of the prisoner’s hand.” Anakin doesn’t, and Ahsoka doesn’t say anything, looks like she’s only squeezing it tighter. Senator Amidala takes his other hand.

“Anakin, please,” she says, and Anakin begrudgingly lets go of Ahsoka’s hand. He squeezes hers even tighter. Barriss thinks that it might break. Ahsoka’s support team stands in front of the glass as the guards drag her into the execution room. They stand her against the wall.

  


Ahsoka closes her eyes and clenches her fists. Then, the guards fire their blasters. The first hits slightly off target, under her breastbone. She screams, and then the rest hit her heart.

 

Barriss tells herself that she’s not allowed to mourn her. She keeps crying anyways.

 

* * *

 

Barriss shuts herself off from the world. She doesn’t know if it’s because of the guilt, or her feelings towards the Jedi, or even just her own loneliness. It might be a combination of the three.

* * *

 

 

Right now, Barriss sits on her mat, trying to meditate.

It isn’t working. She just feels suffocated by the guilt.

 

Ahsoka is dead, and she’s dead because of her. She closes her eyes tighter, and tries to focus on the Force flowing around her.

 

“Barriss,” she hears Ahsoka say. Barriss knows that she imagined it, but she opens her eyes. She expects to see nothing. Instead, she sees the blue specter of Ahsoka Tano. She looks a bit like a hologram. Barriss screams as she falls backwards. Ahsoka crosses her ghostly arms over her ghostly chest. She looks highly unimpressed.

“You framed me,” Ahsoka says. Barriss rakes through her brain, trying to find a reason that Ahsoka could have risen from the dead. She remembers a bit of information from some of her more advanced studies, about Jedi masters who were able to stay behind after death. The writings all implied that it was a difficult process, and that they had to prepare for it carefully in order to make it work. They also implied that the Jedi had to be a master. 

“I thought that only masters were able to do this,” Barriss says, “the absolute best Jedi.”

“Look,” Ahsoka says, “ I don’t know how this works either. I just- I think I’ve got unfinished business.”

“I’m the unfinished business?” Barriss asks. Ahsoka nods her head. Barriss lets out a shaky breath.

“I know what you did, Barriss,” Ahsoka says. Barriss feels like she’s been shot in the heart. She wants to explain herself, to apologize, but she knows that Ahsoka won’t want to hear her excuses. Barriss killed people, and then she let Ahsoka die for it. Nothing Barriss says can change that.

“Are you trying to redeem me, or haunt me?” Barriss asks.

“I honestly haven’t decided yet,” Ahsoka says.

“Why are you here?” Barriss asks, “I’m sure that there are other people you’d rather talk to.”

“You’re the first person that could see me." 

“Oh." 

“You honestly think I would visit you first?” Barriss stiffens. She’s not sure why she thought Ahsoka would come to her first.

“But now that I’m here,” she says, her voice softening a bit, “I might as well meditate. I haven’t had company in ages.” Ahsoka’s specter settles beside her, and closes her eyes. Then, they meditate together.

 

* * *

  


Days turn to weeks which turn to months. Eventually, Ahsoka drops the question Barriss knows she’s been thinking since she died.

“Why did you do it?” Ahsoka asks her one day.

“What?” Barriss asks reflexively. She kicks herself. She knows _exactly_ what Ahsoka means. She doesn’t want to make the other girl spell it out.

“Bomb the temple, frame me, let me die for it,” Ahsoka says, “you know, your villainous To Do List.”

“I thought that the Jedi’s involvement in the war was leading us to the Dark Side,” Barriss says, “we’re warmongers now instead of peacekeepers. I thought that was the only way to make them listen.” She knows that it sounds flimsy, especially to the woman she let take the fall for it. She can’t make it sound any better than that, though. At the time she had thought it was the only option.

“God, Barriss,” Ahsoka says, laughing humorlessly, “you could have talked to someone.”

“Master Luminara wouldn’t listen,” Barriss says, “she said that speaking ill of the Order was treason.”

“ _Me_ ,” Ahsoka says, “you could have talked to me.” Ahsoka’s ghost lies down, and suddenly melts into the ground. Her specter come through the floor at Barriss’s feet and appears a few inches from her face.

“Didn’t you know how much I cared about you?” Ahsoka says, “we could have found another way.”

“You and your master were always so engulfed in the war,” Barriss says, “I didn’t that you’d want to listen. Warfare was always a great adventure to you and Skywalker.” Ahsoka leans back against the wall, and falls through it. She sits back up, looking embarrassed that she forgot she couldn’t lean against a solid object.

“But a bombing?” Ahsoka asks.

“I know it wasn’t right,” Barriss says, “but I was so desperate. It seemed like the only way.” She feels the guilt weighing down on her constantly.

“Did you mean to frame me for it?” Ahsoka says, “was I meant to die to save you the whole time?”

“No,” Barriss says, “that was never part of the plan. You were just- you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“That’s why you let me die,” Ahsoka says, bitterly, “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What sort of sick person does that, lets their best friend _die_ for a crime they committed?” Barriss bites her lip.

“I’m sorry, Ahsoka, I could- I could clear your name. I could turn myself in.” Barriss knows that it won’t fix anything, but it might make herself feel better. It might make Ahsoka hate her a little bit less. And as long as she didn’t come back as a Force Ghost, it would probably be better than living with this guilt and the ghost haunting her.

“What good would that do?”

“It would clear your name." 

“What do I care now? I’m dead, and you’re the only one I can talk to.” Every word she says comes out bitterer than the last. 

“What do you want me to do?” Barriss begs, “I want to make things better.” Her guilt feels like a gaping wound, and she wants to do  _something_ to make it hurt less.  _Anything_

“You try to fix what’s wrong. You try to make things better.” Ahsoka sighs, as if this next bit of information is hard to admit.

“You weren’t wrong about the Dark Side growing within the Order. You just tried to solve the problem wrong, really, _really_ wrong. If you want me to forgive you, then you try to make things better. Don’t sacrifice yourself, Barriss Offee. Dead girls don’t save lives. Dead girls are just dead.” Barriss doesn’t mention how Ahsoka, a dead girl, might be saving lives right now, here with this speech. She doesn’t think that it will help.

 

She nods, and Ahsoka floats through the floor, sneaking off to wherever she goes when she’s not haunting her.

 

* * *

  


The days pass, and the endless clone wars go on and on. Luminara brings up knighting her, but Barriss assures her that she is not ready. She does not think she could stomach saying her vows with the weight on her conscience.

  


* * *

 

The clone wars finally end. For a few days, there is calm. Then, war returns with a bang. Barriss can feel the Dark Side permeating her room in the Temple. Then, she sees Ahsoka’s ghost burst through her door.

 

“Ahsoka?” Barriss asks. The other girl has not visited her in months.

“It’s Anakin,” Ahsoka says, and she sounds crushed.

“Anakin? What’s wrong?”

“He’s turned to the Dark Side. You need to leave right now.” Barriss can feel the Dark Side moving through the room, and then she hears blaster fire outside of her room. She hears a youngling cry out, and feels a death through the Force.

 

She bursts through the doors, and tries to save someone, _anyone_ as she makes through the halls towards the loading deck. She does not meet Anakin Skywalker, but she meets a few clones who fire at her, as if possessed. She cannot save anyone, and boards the ship alone. Barriss is no great pilot, but she is a passable one. She is able to fly the ship off of Coruscant.

 

Once the ship is set to light speed and she sets the coordinates for the Outer Rim, she speaks to Ahsoka’s ghost.

 

“What happened?” Barriss demands. Ahsoka weaves a tale of secret marriages and sith lords, and of her floating through her master’s body, begging him not to do this. He could never hear her, though, and eventually, his path led to slaughtering the younglings at the Temple.

“Why did you save me?” Barriss asks. After what Barriss did to her, she would have completely understood if Ahsoka could not bring herself to save her.

“You’re my responsibility,” Ahsoka says. That was not what Barriss was hoping for, but what Barriss was hoping for will never be possible again. She supposes that she will take what she can get.

* * *

 

  
  


Barriss tries to just go undercover. She tries to spend a normal life hiding from the Empire and slipping under the radar. Ahsoka won’t let her, though. The ghost never leaves her side now, and constantly tries to get her join up with the Rebellion she claims is forming up on Alderaan. So Barriss does.

 

She builds a place for herself in the Rebellion, and she does the best that she can to make up for the things that she has done. Years pass, and she does the best that she can by the Rebellion. Ahsoka seems pleased that she is trying.

 

* * *

 

Eventually, the Rebellion gains some Jedi. A man named Kanan that she’s certain is using a pseudonym, and his padawan, Ezra, who is not. Barriss tries not to get overly involved with them, which is a lot harder than she anticipates. Impossible, even, when the two are both looking for community. She ends up getting involved, and ends up drafted for a mission to Malachor.

 

Barriss meditates, and feels the Dark Side cloud her vision. She has suspicions about the sith lord who has appeared on the scene, Darth Vader. Ahsoka confirms them.

“The sith lord,” Barriss asks, “is that, is that Skywalker?”  
  
“Yes and no,” Ahsoka says.

"What?" Barriss asks. She doesn't know what that means. 

“He used to be my master. It's hard to tell if Anakin's still in here.” Barriss doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t think that there’s anything that she _can_ say.

“I’ve tried to get through to him for fifteen years, but he just doesn’t hear me.”

“I can't believe Skywalker became _that_ ,” Barriss says. Skywalker was the best of them.

“I can,” Ahsoka says, crossing her ghostly arms over her ghostly chest. Ahsoka loved Anakin more than anyone else, but she also watched him extensively from the time he died. Every horrible deed he committed, she witnessed. She has no illusions about what Anakin Skywalker has become. 

* * *

 

 

They meet on Malachor, along with Darth Maul and more inquisitors than she ever wanted to see in one place, more inquisitors that she ever wanted to see at all.

Ezra is tricked, Kanan is blinded, and Darth Vader descends from the heavens stop a TIE fighter. Skywalker always had a flare for the dramatic. He nods when he sees her.

“Barriss Offee,” he says, almost cordially. He doesn't know what she did only that she was friends with Ahsoka. Apparently that earns her some respect.

“Vader,” she says. Ezra holds the holocron in his hands, hoping Vader will not see him. No one is ever that lucky.

“Offee,” he says, “hand over the boy and the holocron.”

“No,” Barriss says. Vader ignores her then.

“I will take it myself,” he says, and he stalks forward. Barriss draws her blue lightsaber.

“Anakin Skywalker,” Barriss Offee says. Vader stops in his tracks.

“Anakin Skywalker is dead,” he says, robotic ally.

“Anakin Skywalker is you,” she corrects. Vader pushes past her, and turns his attention to Ezra. He has disarmed the boy in a moment, and he crushes his saber underfoot.

“Barriss,” Ezra says, panic in his voice, “help!” Barriss makes a decision.

“I was the Temple Bomber,” she say. Darth Vader turns to face her, forgetting Ezra and the holocron.

“What did you say?” He demands.

“I bombed the Jedi Temple, and I let Ahsoka take the fall for it.” Darth Vader looks between her, and Ezra, deciding who to deal with.

“Ahsoka died because of me. I am the one you want, Skywalker. Leave the boy alone.” Darth Vader, scourge of the galaxy, draws his lightsaber and descends upon her like a predator. Ezra grabs onto his master, and snatches the holocron. Then, they run like hell. She’s not sure if they’re running from Vader, or from her.

“You will die,” he growls. He flies forward, his red blade crashing against her blue one. Barriss has to hold him off as Ezra and Kanan get the door down, as they get off planet.

Vader brings his blade down again, but Ahsoka appears between them, in all her blue, spectral glory. Barriss expects that he won't see her, but Vader falls back. He looks as shocked as a masked man can,

“Snips,” he whispers. The cute nickname sounds so weird coming from his deep, robotic voice.

“Yeah skyguy,” she says, voice broken and sad, “it’s me.” Ahsoka turns to her.

 _Run_ , she mouths. It takes Barriss a moment, but she runs towards the exit.

“You’re not real,” he says, “you can’t be. _She_ killed you.” She follows Kanan and Ezra closely, and once they get through the gates, Ezra and Kanan lower them.

“Anakin, don’t,” Ahsoka whispers, her ghostly blue figure floating between them.

“Come on, Barriss!” Ezra begs. The gate has almost closed, but they have no way of knowing how long that will keep Vader. Barriss remains entranced.

“That’s not my name,” he growls, his voice and the machine, and he cuts through her specter. Ahsoka disappears, and Vader is left alone in the dull red light of his lightsaber. The door finally closes, and Barris lunges onto the Phantom.

 

Kanan is blind, Ezra guilty, and Barriss guiltier. They’re an interesting bunch.

 

Ezra is hugging his master tightly, telling him how sorry he is through tears. Kanan, however, turns his head and stares at her. At least, he turns his head that way. His ruined eyes have been bandaged.

“What you told Vader?” He asks, with thinly veiled anger, “was it true?” She could lie. She probably should, but Barriss has had enough pretending. She’s ready to own up to what she did.

“Yes,” she says, “it was.”

“You’re a real piece of shit,” he says, “you know that, Barriss?”

“Kanan,” Ezra says.

“I do,” Barriss says.

“But you bought us time,” he concedes, “ so thank you.” Barriss nods, and then realizes he can't see it.

“Yes.” She say.

“How did you know that was Skywalker?” He asks.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” she says. He nods, accepting that as the nonanswer that it is. 

“Will you tell them what I did?” Barriss asks.

“No,” Ezra says, “you saved our lives.” Kanan sighs.

“It’s not my secret to tell,” he decides.

 

They arrive back at the base. The Ghost Crew embrace Kanan and Ezra back into their fold, and Barriss returns to her quarters.,

 

She tries to call Ahsoka back to her. She waits for hours, tying every trick that ever worked to bring back the ghost. Barriss realizes that whatever happened with Vader severed her connection to the land of the living. Ahsoka Tano is truly gone now, really dead.

 

Barriss feels the sting of loss down to her bones. Ahsoka’s unfinished business is taken care of now, she supposes. She did what she could to get Barriss on the straight and narrow, and she did all she could for Anakin. Now it is up to Barriss to complete her work, to see the Rebellion carried through to fruition.

 

She has unfinished business through, and she will see it through. It’s the best she can do for Ahsoka. She owes her as much and more.

 


End file.
